


Sweat, Mud, and Blood

by Python07



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Angst, First Kiss, Hand Jobs, M/M, courting Wildling style
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-17
Updated: 2019-10-20
Packaged: 2020-06-30 07:16:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19848223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Python07/pseuds/Python07
Summary: Tormund's blood is up after the Battle of the Bastards. He's looking for release. Too bad Davos isn't in the mood.sequel to Sour Goat's Milk





	1. “You’re thinking too much again. I don’t mind helping with this problem.”

Tormund didn’t hesitate to grab Davos’ arm and yank him back into the dark tunnel, out of view of those in the Winterfell courtyard. There was barely enough light for them to see each other. The air was crisp and cold. The sounds of the men working outside didn’t stop.

“I’m the last person in this world that could be called subtle,” Tormund began as he shoved Davos into the wall and pressed against him. 

Davos let out a surprised puff of air. “What are you doing?”

Tormund angled his hips so Davos would be sure to feel his awakening arousal. He rubbed against him for a long moment. “So, how did I sneak up on you?” 

“This isn’t the time or the place for this,” Davos stated flatly.

“We’re both stupidly lucky enough to still be alive. It’s a perfect time. I even wiped off the worst of grime, just for you.” Tormund offered a savage grin and tapped Davos’ forehead. “You’re thinking too much again. I don’t mind helping with this problem.” 

Davos grunted. He averted his eyes and tried to slip out of Tormund’s grasp. “That won’t be necessary. There’s a lot to think about now that the Starks are back in Winterfell.”

Tormund pressed Davos into the wall, harder. He kept one hand on his shoulder. The other trailed down his side. “Perhaps.” He leaned in close to Davos’ ear and his voice dropped to a rough whisper. “I saw the way you watched the red woman. You would burn her on one of her own pyres.”

Davos tensed even more. His breathing was ragged. He didn’t answer but he didn’t try to escape.

Tormund nuzzled Davos’ skin. “Why?” 

Davos shuddered. He shut his eyes. He tilted his head to expose more of his neck.

Tormund inhaled deeply the scents of sweat, blood, and mud. He closed his hand around Davos’ and the small item Davos carried. “And what’s this?”

Davos jerked and shoved Tormund away. He slipped the offending object into his pouch. He bared his teeth and growled, “That’s none of your concern.”

Tormund barked out a laugh. He lunged at Davos to pin him against the wall again. “Okay, not my business.” He reached between them to feel Davos beneath all of his layers. “I’m making this my business. You can’t tell me that you’re blood isn’t up from the fight.”

Davos pushed a hand against his groin in return. He groaned and his hips moved of their own accord, forward into Davos’ grip. He ached to have Davos’ bare hands on his bare skin.

Davos squeezed. He pulled him closer to murmur in his ear. “That’s exactly what I’m telling you.”

Tormund didn’t have time to register the words before Davos shoved him away again and punched him in the face. Before he knew it, he was on the ground, staring up at Davos in awe. He licked the trickle of blood off his bottom lip.

Davos pointed down at him. His voice carried all of his weariness and frustration. “I’m exhausted. I have more blood on me than in me. We both smell like shit, blood, and mud. Piss off.”

All Tormund could do was watch Davos stalk off and laugh. “Later, my friend,” he called after him. “We’ll continue this later.”


	2. “I told you we would continue this later.”

Davos ignored Tormund’s parting shot. There was no shortage of work and he threw himself into it so he didn’t have to think. If he focused, he didn’t have to think about all he’d lost and why. He may have stopped blatantly watching the Red Woman but he always knew where she was. He would never turn his back on her again.

He checked on the crews preparing the pyres to burn the dead on both sides. He saw to the supplies for the living, including food and medical attention. He ate his meal in the crowded hall, next to a silent Brienne and a puffed up Lord Royce, ignoring Tormund watching them. He just wanted to eat and hope his splitting headache went away.

He was fully prepared to sleep in the great hall with a bunch of the men. He simply counted himself lucky that he didn’t have to sleep outside in one of the tents. He wasn’t built for this cold and he had no desire to be any closer to the stench of the battlefield. He wasn’t built for that either. What was he doing here? Ah, yes, he’d followed a madman’s quest for the throne.

How had he misjudged Stannis so badly? When had the man, who would move heaven and earth to save his child, disappeared? Stannis had always been cold, rigid, and a bit narrow but he’d been just. He’d been scrupulously fair when it would’ve been much easier to be otherwise. What happened to that core trait of Stannis’ personality?

Was is it really Robert’s death? Was it the Red Woman? Was it the games for power? Was it really the squabbling over a chair when there were bigger threats out there?

Why was Davos even surprised? This wasn’t the first time Stannis burned people, not even the first time he’d burned a member of his own family. He’d wanted to sacrifice Gendry for his ambition. The man Davos followed was gone, long dead before his body met its end.

Davos didn’t realize that he’d squeezed his eyes shut or that he was shaking. He started at the sound of laughter. He ran a hand roughly down his face. If his eyes were a bit red and irritated, that was no one’s business but his own.

He threaded his way through the bodies trying to get comfortable on the floor. He stepped outside. He took a deep breath of the cold air. He willed all of those thoughts, all of the grief away. He was too tired to deal with it all.

He just blinked when Jon appeared beside him, took his arm, and said quietly, “Not the great hall for you.”

Davos lost track of the dim passages but Jon’s steps didn’t falter and he didn’t let go of Davos. Jon didn’t speak until he opened the door to a set of guest chambers. “These are for you for as long as you’re here.”

Frost covered the one window but there was a fire going and the room was warm. The bed was made with fresh linens and piles of furs. There was a tub of hot water and a bar of homemade soap.

Davos sighed heavily. “This isn’t necessary, Jon.”

Jon frowned and his voice was painfully earnest. “This is the least I can do for you. We wouldn’t be here, I wouldn’t be here, if it weren’t for you. I would still be dead and gone and all the brothers who followed me would be dead, too.”

Davos averted his eyes. “It was the right thing to do and it’s not like Thorne would’ve let me leave.” 

“Instead of going home, you helped Sansa and me rally the scared Northern houses to our cause. You fought with us even though it wasn’t your war.” Jon’s grip tightened on Davos’ arm. “You’ve stood by me even though you don’t know me. Let me do this for you. Please.”

Davos let out a subdued puff of laughter. “When you put it like that, how can I refuse? Besides, I can’t even remember the last time I slept in a proper bed. Thank you.”

Jon’s face a bit flushed from embarrassment. He grinned. It was pained, but it was sincere. He gave Davos a slight shove into the room. “You’re welcome. Have a good soak and get some sleep. We’ll speak more in the morning.”

Some of the ever present tension in Davos’ shoulders eased when he was finally in the tub. The water smelled of winter roses. He washed the last of the mud and blood from his skin. Then he put his head back against the edge of the tub and shut his eyes. He put a warm wet cloth over his eyes.

He listened to the fire. He let himself drift as the water eased the stiffness in his muscles. The pain in his head was down to a dull roar.

He was half asleep. He didn’t hear the door creak open or the quiet, but by no means silent, footsteps. He started at the hot breath against his ear and the large, calloused hand on his shoulder to keep him still.

“I told you we would continue this later.”


	3. “You interest me.”

Davos relaxed again. He sighed as if dealing with an unruly child. “And I told you to piss off.”

Tormund laughed as he knelt next to the tub. “You said we both smell like shit, blood, and mud. That’s not true anymore.”

Davos snorted in amusement. “Stuck your head in a water trough, did you?” 

Tormund laughed again. “My little crow’s big sister insisted, said we both reeked.” 

Davos yawned. “Ah, Lady Sansa is not one to be trifled with.”

Tormund wrinkled his nose in mock offense. “I had a proper bath.” He growled. “I wanted to say no, but the look she gave me.” He shuddered dramatically. “It would’ve curdled milk.”

It was Davos’ turn to laugh but it was more subdued than Tormund’s. “A wise man picks his battles.”

Tormund leaned in to nuzzle at the spot just below Davos’ ear. His fingers moved from Davos’ shoulder, stroked along his collar bones, and over the base of his throat. He kept the touch light but never broke contact with Davos’ skin. His voice dropped to a low, rough purr. “We both smell like flowers.”

“Why are you doing this?” Davos asked wearily, although he made no move to get away.

Tormund stilled his hand but didn’t remove it. He took a moment to just feel Davos’ pulse. “I told you this once before.” He nipped at Davos’ ear and the man’s pulse jumped under his fingers. “I do this because I want to.”

Davos hissed. He tilted his head away just enough to remove the wet cloth from his eyes. He stared at Tormund for a long moment. “Why?”

Tormund held Davos’ gaze. He smiled warmly. “You interest me.”

Davos was the first to break eye contact. He grimaced as if Tormund’s answer pained him. “Surely, there are better people for you to be interested in than me.” He shut his eyes. “I’ve seen the way you look at Brienne.”

“And you must’ve seen the way she looks at me.” Tormund chuckled and rested his forehead against Davos’. “I fear I must look upon her from afar.” He cupped Davos’ face in both hands. He placed light kisses on his forehead, his eyelids, and the tip of his nose. “That doesn’t mean I will stop trying.”

“Yes,” Davos sighed, “you’re very trying.”

Tormund chuckled some more and eased away. He scrambled to his feet and took Davos’ arm. “Come. It’s late, this has been a day from one of the hells, and the water is cooling.”

Davos eyes shot open. “What?”

Tormund rolled his eyes. “You don’t have anything that I’m not familiar with.”

Davos opened his mouth and then abruptly shut it again. He shook his head at himself. “I’m too tired to argue with you.”

Tormund smirked. “I know.” He helped Davos to stand and step out of the tub. He ignored Davos’ quiet grumbling, grabbed a towel, and gave him a quick rub down. He didn’t linger and he didn’t stare, too much. Then, he pushed Davos down onto the bed and pulled the covers and furs over him.

Davos’ eyes were closed and his breath was already deep and even. Tormund felt his own wave of fatigue hit him, any post battle high was long gone. He sat on the edge of the bed. He ran a rough hand down his face. He looked around and smiled ruefully. “Little crow gave me a room like this. I don’t like it. It’s cold and it’s too quiet.”

Davos didn’t move and his voice was barely audible. “Stay."


	4. “Did I also invite you to strip and get up close and personal with me?”

Davos surfaced slowly from dreams of the sea. He could still smell the salt air and feel the lingering exhilaration. The sound of rigging echoed in his ears. There was no fire, only sea spray. There was no grief, only freedom.

He was warm and his limbs felt heavy. It took a long moment for him to register the feeling of skin on skin. It took an even longer moment for him to realize that he was hard. His sleep addled mind couldn’t give credence to the fact there was an answering hardness pressed against him.

He blinked open bleary eyes to find himself entangled with Tormund. They were on their sides, facing each other. Tormund was hot and solid against him and yet he still found himself reaching out to touch Tormund’s face to verify this was real.

He barely touched Tormund’s cheek when Tormund grabbed his hand and opened his eyes to look at him. “Morning,” he whispered awkwardly.

Tormund gave a sleepy grin. He stretched and pressed even closer to Davos. “Morning,” he murmured warmly.

Davos’ breath hitched. “What? How?” he asked at a loss.

The grin didn’t leave Tormund’s face. He didn’t let go of Davos’ hand. “You were pretty out of it last night. You said I could stay.”

“Did I also invite you to strip and get up close and personal with me?”

“You didn’t say not to.” Tormund arched his eyebrows suggestively. He pressed his thigh harder against Davos. “You don’t seem to mind.”

Davos bit his bottom lip and he silently cursed himself as an honest man. No protest sprung to mind, but he could’ve done without his own voice sounding so breathless to his own ears. “No, it doesn’t seem that I do.”

Tormund’s eyes flashed. He suddenly licked Davos’ palm and guided it down between them. He wrapped Davos’ fingers around his hard shaft. Then, he licked his own palm and took Davos in hand.

Davos stroked lightly while he pushed into Tormund’s firm grip. He swallowed a groan. He shut his eyes against the sight of Tormund’s flushed face and wild eyes. He bit his lip, harder.

Tormund rested his forehead against Davos’. His breath ghosted across Davos’ lips. “You said it’s been a while but surely you remember how it works. Don’t be afraid to touch me.” He squeezed, just short of it being painful. “I told you before that I want to hear you.”

Davos moaned and stroked Tormund harder. “What if someone hears?”

Tormund grunted and rubbed along Davos to increase and friction and heat everywhere they touched. He twisted his wrist to get another one of those delightful moans. He nipped at Davos’ lips. “So what if they do? The free folk believe in free love.”

“People south of the wall are less enligh--” Davos couldn’t finish the sentence with Tormund’s tongue in his mouth. He stopped thinking and opened up to the kiss.

The kisses were frenzied, deep, and sloppy. It was tongues, teeth, and beard burn. Their slick bodies moved together, pushing and pulling at each other, and swallowing each other’s cries. They didn’t break apart even when Tormund pushed Davos onto his back and pressed down on him. 

Davos gulped for air when Tormund pulled away to trail kisses and nips along his jaw and up to his ear. The combination of soft lips and scratchy beard drove him mad. He arched up for more. He buried his shortened fingers in Tormund’s hair. His other hand stroked them both together, hard and fast.

Tormund wrapped a hand around Davos’. His other roamed over Davos’ body, wherever he could reach. He sucked a mark into the side of Davos’ neck. “I want to feel you come.”

That low guttural rasp was enough to send Davos over the edge. The pleasure swept through him like a tidal wave. Through a haze, he felt Tormund follow him into the watery abyss. He was barely aware of Tormund collapsing at his side before the welcome darkness took him.


End file.
